Philadelphia freedom

PHILADELPHIA – Hello citizens, time to chat again. It’s been a few days. Coming to you live from a Marriott in the Philly burbs, the night before Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The series moves to the Wachovia Center tomorrow, with the Flyers in obvious need of a win to make this thing a series.

Always great to be in Philly. Partly, for me, to scratch my history-buff itch. After reading David McCullough’s great book “John Adams” a few years ago, I started to get really interested in that whole American Revolution thing-a-mabob. Finally, after a childhood where the eyes glazed over when it came to anything history related, I got very much into just how our country started.

Tonight, as usual when I’m here, I stopped off at the City Tavern for what turned out to be dinner. It’s the same place where Thomas Jefferson and John Adams and George Washington and Ben Franklin were regulars, for meals, meetings and maybe the occasional spirit or two. Right there, in the same place they sat, I sat – which pretty much blows my mind every time it happens. Here’s my table:

Tomorrow, of course, it’s all about hockey. I picked the Flyers to win the series beforehand, so of course they’re down 2-0 entering Game 3. I don’t know what happened to my series prognostication abilities. I used to nail every one, and I’m on a bit of a losing streak of late.

I think the Flyers still have a shot, but the dispiriting them for them is, they’ve played two pretty good games so far – and each in vastly different styles – and still lost both. They tried to skate with Chicago in Game 1 and that didn’t work. They tried to rough up Chicago in Game 2 and that didn’t work. Now what?

Incidentally, I’ll be visiting a while with Avs GM Greg Sherman tomorrow. He’ll be in Philly for NHL GM meetings, so we’ll get his thoughts on what may lie ahead this summer as far as signings go. The only player to sign so far (other than prospects) has been Adam Foote. I expect a deal at some point soon for Chris Stewart, but the question remains just how much he and the Avs think his new deal should be worth. After his breakout season, he’s in line for a good raise – and you know he and his representatives are probably thinking something in the $2 million-a-year range. I think that would be fair, and maybe even a little more. I mean, the Avs were paying guys like Marek Svatos over $2 million last year, and don’t forget Wojtek Wolski was making over $3 million before he got traded.

No doubt the Avs will say something like “The kid’s gonna get a raise and deserves it, but let’s not get foolish here. He only has one good year on his resume still.”

The NHL salary cap is expected to rise about $2 million from the current $56.7 million, by the way. NHL revenues are expected to come in at about a 4-percent increase over last year – good news for the players. And good news for Avs fans hoping they might make something of a splash in the free-agent market July 1. At least, theoretically it’s good news. We’ll get Sherman’s latest thoughts on the subject tomorrow. Should the Avs try to spend a ton of cash and bring in expensive imports – or do they stick with the “build from within” model?

Build from within.Sign a few free agents to fill what roles need to be filled and for depth and what not, but there's no need to spend a ton of cash on a big name player when we still haven't proven ourselves as a team yet.Big key: a solid backup for Anderson.

Mark

Spend a ton of cash and bring in expensive imports.Everything seems to beg for this course of action. Avs have a lot of cap space ($25 million after re-signings); Avs seriously lack a no. 1 LW and a no. 1 D-man; the UFA pool is drying up year-by-year as the “Hossa/Elias contract” is being thrown around; and old players are being ejected while others like Hannan, Hejduk and Foote will be gone after next season (freeing up cap space for raises to the young players).If the Avs ignore all these points and simply “build from within,” they face the serious risk of becoming the St Louis Blues rather than the Chicago Blackhawks (who brought in Sharp, Hossa, Campbell.) There's risk signing high-end players (Huet, for example), but the Avs make pretty good free agency/drafting moves so I'm not too worried.Basically, I'm hoping Sherman seriously courts Kovalchuk and one of Zbynek, Hamhuis, or Martin.

I remember Blue

Build from within.I will agree with Mark that #1 need is a shut down Dman. A lot of folks want Hamhuis or Volchenkov. Pass on Hamhuis, good Dman, lots of hockey sense, but small and doesn't hit. The Avs have plenty of those. Volchenkov does have the size, does hit, and is a good shut down Dman, but I fear he comes at too high a price. I would much rather the Av's sign Kurtis Foster. A big guy, 6' 5″ and 225, same size as AV, a big hitter and the guy has a monster slap shot. Given the chance on the PP last year, he was really productive. In fact he had a career season last year, possibly because he finally started to get some ice time in Tampa. And the best thing, I'd bet the Avs could sign him for a mil or less. I think the Avs need to get bigger and meaner. Foster adds an element of nasty. Then go get Derek Boogaard, Raitis Ivanans or Shawn Thornton. Someone who will stand up for his teammates. Someone who won't let Dutchie of Mueller get pushed around. Someone who will let Rob Blake know that he will pay a price for questionable lapses in judgement.Would also like to see a younger, but experienced role player on the 3rd or 4th line, like Eric Nystrom or Jed Ortmeyer. Kinda like a Yelle-lite.And please, PLEASE, Sherman, no Kovy.

Mikey Broomers

Good points all :) I'd prefer us to get a hardman that can play a bit but I think if we redefine Cody Mc's role, we have that. He struggled a bit last year, maybe too much being asked of him? Give him that 3rd/4th line role and tell him to hassle of Blake and he could actually put up more goals. Definitely let Koci go though!Agreed with some more bottom 6 experience, would be cheap too. I'd love to see Paul Martin as an Av, would be a great signing for us and give our up and coming d prospects a tutor. Could make Liles expendable but if he plays as he can, he's more than welcome to stay.

Nick, Quebec

buyout Preissing !trade Liles !i would go after : Martin or Volchenkov and BOYCHUK (UFA ) on defense ! and on offense : Thornton and Malholtra

Rob

Seriously, Mark, have some patience. NOTHING “begs” for use to “spend a ton of cash.” Yes, we need a backup, forward depth and improvement on D (not to mention better training and injury prevention), but blowing it on pricey free agents is NOT the answer. The Avs DO NOT “make pretty good free agency moves”. Yes, some of our front office has changed, but don't forget decisions to let Lappy and Brunette go, renew guys like Svatos and Tucker and Budaj, or sign Smyth/Hannan and Turgeon/Brisebois.Building from within IS the answer because we’ll need more than just next year’s potential freed up cap space to afford pay increases and post-entry level deals in the future. Building from within helps us AVOID falling into the same trap Chicago is in. The same guys you mentioned – Sharp, Hossa and Campbell – will either be gone (Sharp) or force another guy out because Hawks management overpaid on them (Hello Hossa, Campbell, Jonsson and Huet; Goodbye Versteeg, Bolland, Ladd, Burish, Eager, Madden and already Barker and Whitney). If we go after Kovy (horrible idea), he’ll not only take someone else’s roster spot but also the cap space for more than one player. The same can be said for the defensemen you mentioned. Signing Zbynek Michalek with “a ton of cash” (ie, 5yr/$5mil) could mean never seeing Cameron Gaunce. Signing Kovy would handcuff us if one of our many young assets becomes the target of an RFA offer sheet. Would you rather have Kovy than Galiardi, Yip and/or O’Reilly? What if Anderson gets hurt and we still don’t have a solid backup because we chose to spend it all on Kovy? Look where the Avs are and have patience. Wait for a team to develop into a decade-long power rather than a two-year flash in the pan.

Rob

Seriously, Mark, have some patience. NOTHING “begs” for use to “spend a ton of cash.” Yes, we need a backup, forward depth and improvement on D (not to mention better training and injury prevention), but blowing it on pricey free agents is NOT the answer. The Avs DO NOT “make pretty good free agency moves”. Yes, some of our front office has changed, but don't forget decisions to let Lappy and Brunette go, renew guys like Svatos and Tucker and Budaj, or sign Smyth/Hannan and Turgeon/Brisebois.Building from within IS the answer because we’ll need more than just next year’s potential freed up cap space to afford pay increases and post-entry level deals in the future. Building from within helps us AVOID falling into the same trap Chicago is in. The same guys you mentioned – Sharp, Hossa and Campbell – will either be gone (Sharp) or force another guy out because Hawks management overpaid on them (Hello Hossa, Campbell, Jonsson and Huet; Goodbye Versteeg, Bolland, Ladd, Burish, Eager, Madden and already Barker and Whitney). If we go after Kovy (horrible idea), he’ll not only take someone else’s roster spot but also the cap space for more than one player. The same can be said for the defensemen you mentioned. Signing Zbynek Michalek with “a ton of cash” (ie, 5yr/$5mil) could mean never seeing Cameron Gaunce. Signing Kovy would handcuff us if one of our many young assets becomes the target of an RFA offer sheet. Would you rather have Kovy than Galiardi, Yip and/or O’Reilly? What if Anderson gets hurt and we still don’t have a solid backup because we chose to spend it all on Kovy? Look where the Avs are and have patience. Wait for a team to develop into a decade-long power rather than a two-year flash in the pan.

Rob

Seriously, Mark, have some patience. NOTHING “begs” for use to “spend a ton of cash.” Yes, we need a backup, forward depth and improvement on D (not to mention better training and injury prevention), but blowing it on pricey free agents is NOT the answer. The Avs DO NOT “make pretty good free agency moves”. Yes, some of our front office has changed, but don't forget decisions to let Lappy and Brunette go, renew guys like Svatos and Tucker and Budaj, or sign Smyth/Hannan and Turgeon/Brisebois.Building from within IS the answer because we’ll need more than just next year’s potential freed up cap space to afford pay increases and post-entry level deals in the future. Building from within helps us AVOID falling into the same trap Chicago is in. The same guys you mentioned – Sharp, Hossa and Campbell – will either be gone (Sharp) or force another guy out because Hawks management overpaid on them (Hello Hossa, Campbell, Jonsson and Huet; Goodbye Versteeg, Bolland, Ladd, Burish, Eager, Madden and already Barker and Whitney). If we go after Kovy (horrible idea), he’ll not only take someone else’s roster spot but also the cap space for more than one player. The same can be said for the defensemen you mentioned. Signing Zbynek Michalek with “a ton of cash” (ie, 5yr/$5mil) could mean never seeing Cameron Gaunce. Signing Kovy would handcuff us if one of our many young assets becomes the target of an RFA offer sheet. Would you rather have Kovy than Galiardi, Yip and/or O’Reilly? What if Anderson gets hurt and we still don’t have a solid backup because we chose to spend it all on Kovy? Look where the Avs are and have patience. Wait for a team to develop into a decade-long power rather than a two-year flash in the pan.

Meg

This is an unselfish team that focuses on what the other guy did and isn't all about the “me, me, me.” It also has a weakness on defense. So why on earth would you want to “seriously court” Kovalchuck and bring in a guy who feels that he is completely above the team and couldn't play defense if you paid him to (oh, wait …)?

Meg

You build from within. Does it take more time? Absolutely it does. But it's also a step to ensure that you're doing your club a service long term instead of trying to put a temporary band-aid on the situation to make yourself a short-term competitor. Think NY Rangers. And let's not forget, also, that even the best free agent signings can go horribly wrong. Anyone else remember Selanne and Kariya?Plus, given the time, the guys we have in the system could very well prove to yield the #1 defenseman and top tier LW we need.

Meg

You build from within. Does it take more time? Absolutely it does. But it's also a step to ensure that you're doing your club a service long term instead of trying to put a temporary band-aid on the situation to make yourself a short-term competitor. Think NY Rangers. And let's not forget, also, that even the best free agent signings can go horribly wrong. Anyone else remember Selanne and Kariya?Plus, given the time, the guys we have in the system could very well prove to yield the #1 defenseman and top tier LW we need.

If you buy out Preissing he will still count against the cap for the next couple years. Keeping him on the Lake Erie squad keeps his contract off the Avs books completely.

Casimir Pulaski

I don't think the Avs will go crazy in the free agency market – I do think they will fill in some holes, but as far as Kovalchuk goes, I don't see him in Colorado. I wouldn't be upset if they did sign him, because he is as exciting as Ovechkin and has a mean streak to him, but I don't see it. I do like Zenon Konopka, free agent center from Tampa Bay. He's not a heavyweight, but he will stick up for his teammates and unlike many Avs on the current roster, he can consistently win face-offs…As for d-men, I like the idea of Kurtis Foster or Anton Volchenkov coming in – someone who will play the body and who can run a little point on the pp. How about Alex Frolov as a first line left wing? As for a back-up for Anderson, maybe the Avs will go from within and give Weiman a shot – bottom line is this: The right mix of veterans with this young team could propel them into Chicago-status next year, the potential is there.

Mark

Kovalchuk is right beneath Crosby, Ovechkin and Malkin as a top offensive threat. He's one of the most dazzling offensive players in the league – a player the old Pierre Lacroix would be panting over. In the playoffs no one was able to create any offense for the avs… and while NJ failed, Kovy was clearly their best player. We can hope that Stewart, Jones, Galiardi and others develop into strong players (Duchene seems to be a lock), but why not add a great offensive piece and have the kids develop at the same time? Even Kovy at $9 million doesn't hurt this team's cap space since we have so much room. And we are horrendously weak at LW in both Denver and Lake Erie. Who is our top LW now? Galiardi???On defense I'm actually much less adamant about adding anyone. I don't want to end up with yet another $4-$5 million middle pairing d-man. I like the Foster idea since he's cheap. What I don't get is the Liles trade talk. He was the best Av during the playoffs. I think everyone should give the guy a break, I actually think he's getting paid below market value. I like the Sharp idea too, but somehow I see him staying with the Hawks.

Bob

Kovie and a top defensive D-man would put this team in contention for the Cup. So do it Sherm!

Ring_of_Fire

As an FYI, Chicago will not, under any circumstances, trade Seabrook.You MAY be able to pry one of Sharp/Versteeg/Byfuglien from Chicago, but you will also have to take Campbell (and his contract).

Ring_of_Fire

As an FYI, Chicago will not, under any circumstances, trade Seabrook.You MAY be able to pry one of Sharp/Versteeg/Byfuglien from Chicago, but you will also have to take Campbell (and his contract).

Ring_of_Fire

As an FYI, Chicago will not, under any circumstances, trade Seabrook.You MAY be able to pry one of Sharp/Versteeg/Byfuglien from Chicago, but you will also have to take Campbell (and his contract).

Ring_of_Fire

The problem with Kovalchuck is that he pouts. He's got an ego to match Ovechkin's, but he doesn't handle it as well (which is saying something, considering the prima-donna that is Alexander Ovechkin). Anyway, if Kovy feels like he's not getting the puck enough or not playing with the right guys, he becomes difficult to manage and stops giving his all on the ice. Also, he's rumored to be a lousy locker room guy.(See his stint in Atlanta for evidence of this…)If the Avs believe that Sacco is the coach to manage that kind of player, then, by all means, go get him, because he IS a special talent. However, he also has the potential to bring an entire team down around him, while accepting none of the blame himself. He's the classic “high-risk, high reward” type of player.Also, the 'Hawks will trade Byfuglien or Versteeg before they trade Sharp. However, regardless of WHO it is, they will try to package one of the that group with Campbell and his gag-inducing contract in order to get cap relief.

AJ P

If the Avs were to sign Kovalchuk or a player of his caliber, this offseason would be the time. The Avs are 3rd in the NHL in most available cap space. I don't really care one way or another. He is a talented player that doesn't come around often but he would tie up a lot of cap space and long term deals are just stupid in my opinion it makes moving people when they become a menace too difficult (Heatley). The Avs need a first line LW for sure and this years free agent pool isn't the greatest so it may come down to trades. The Avs should try and take advantage of teams like Montreal and Chicago who need to cut salary. Kris Versteeg would be a nice addition or Patrick Sharp but I doubt they will part with him or Byfuglien after their playoff performances. Andrei Kostitsyn may be worth a look, he only has one year left on his contract and the Avs probably won't have to give up much for him. Building from within is probably the best course with our defense. A shutdown defenseman would be nice but I can't see bringing in more defensemen. The Avs are loaded with defensive prospects and Shattenkirk, Cohen, Gaunce, Holos, and Chouinard, all have a shot at making the team next year so the Avs should try and create roster spots for at least one to make the team. That may mean trading away Liles or Hannan.

Z

I don't think that's true. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure he counts against the cap regardless of where he plays in the organization.

Z

I don't think that's true. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure he counts against the cap regardless of where he plays in the organization.

Z

I don't think that's true. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure he counts against the cap regardless of where he plays in the organization.

Z

Sorry, totally screwed that one up. I meant it as a reply to another post…

What?

??????

Jeru1975

After cutting dead weight this summer, I say make one splash. Not necessarily a BIG splash but something decent. I have no idea who (besides the players we've all talked about) but make it a nice summer for us, Avalanche!! We really haven't been excited about an Avs blockbuster since the summer acquisitions of Smyth and Hannan. Either way, we obviously have the spending flexibility to make some waves so just do it!!

Ring_of_Fire

Nope. There's some technicalities about how all of this works in practice that I don't want to get into now; but, in general, Whiteice is right: If you stash someone in the minors, they don't count towards the cap.For one example of how this works in practice, see Calgary's cap situation last year, when they couldn't bring up guys to fill in for injuries at the end of the season, because they were so hard up against the cap.

j.

Sign Kovy to a 2 year-top dollar contract.Bad-sport Kovy or a change-in-attitude Kovy still equal the same thing… one of the the most elite left wingers in the entire NHL.If we sign him to two years, while most of our other guys are young, it lets us sift out the talent of what we have, while having the stability of a guaranteed #1 left wing.With a short deal at 2 years, we'll be able to work something out with him if he wants to stay or trade him for prospects if he doesn't. It's win-win. Right now we don't have a clear cut top-line left wing. And if we can get one of the best young forwards, why not? All we've been doing is plugging people in; Mueller, Galiardi, and Jones all started off at center/right wing, so it would be nice to start off with a top notch wing and build depth at left from there.I don't see how Kovy would hurt this team in terms of taking roster spots. Our LW is severely lacking, and is quite simply a different type of player than anyone else we currently have that could be molded into that role. Signing him isn't a do-or-die type of thing. But I see nothing but benefits if we can sign him to a short deal.

James

Dater…Do we expect to give Anderson an extension and tear up the existing one year left on his deal?

Rob

2 years? This isn't a video game, j. ALL of the offers Kovy gets, or at least considers, will be long-term because that's what he wants: cash and security. Even Gonchar wants at least two years.

Ring_of_Fire

Yep. Unless he's absolutely blown away by up-front cash, there's no way he signs for less than 8 years. And, given the Hossa contract, he might demand as many as 12.Granted, the Avs are one of three teams that COULD blow him away with, maybe, a 5 year deal…but it'd mean blowing essentially all of their room under the cap for the next several years on a player that, if unhappy, could bring the entire organization down around him…..and it's not like the Avs don't have other needs as well.Of course, he could also win five scoring titles in that time.I dunno. Personally, I believe that the Avs are more than Kovy and a back-up goalie away from true contention….

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Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.

Chambers covers college and professional hockey for The Denver Post. He has written for the Post since 1994, after dumping his first 9-to-5 office job a couple years out of college. He primarily follows the University of Denver hockey team and helps cover the Avalanche.